Fill in each numbered blank with a correct word to complete the following passage.

The Internet is the world’s largest computer network with over 100 million users worldwide and this number (1) ............. doubling from year to year. The Internet is like an international highway of information.  Now,  you  can  sit  at  your  computer,  choose  a  route  and  (2) ............... at  your destination – that is, the information you need. Today, from your computer, you (3) ............. access a library in one country, talk to an expert on a certain topic in a second country and send your (4) ............. information to someone doing research in a third. So, we don’t know what will be (5) .............. in the not-too-distant future.

The Internet was born (6) ............. scientists attempted to connect the American Defence Network to other satellite networks in (7) ............ to exchange information. Soon, scientific and educational institutions as well as research departments became interested (8) ............. linking up, and, before long, the Internet had expanded into an international information and communication network.

The Internet now (9) .............. all the countries in the world. You can be connected to the Internet directly through your own computer or you can hook up to (10) ............. access system which allows you to use some of the Internet’s services.

(1) ...................

• A. 
  are
• B. 
  is
• C. 
  was
• D. 
  were